Coated shoe polish stick and method of coating same



I y 7, 1947. R. H. DAVID 2,421,246

COATED SHOE POLISH ST ICK AND METHOD OF COATING SAME Filed Feb. 6, i942 Patented May 27, 1947 CGATED SHOE POLISH STICK F COATING SAME AND METHOD Roger Harry David, St. Paul, Minn. Application February 6, 1942, Serial No. 429,841

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in shoe polish stick, wherein it is desired to provide a simple convenient means of applying shoe polish to shoes and the like.

Shoe polish is usually one of two different types; liquid polish to be applied in liquid form by a suitable applicator, and paste polish which is usually contained in a suitable metal container and is applied with a brush or dauber. It is with a solid form of polish that the present invention is particularly related.

Shoe polish in paste form is ordinarily composed of waxes and oils blended together with a dryer and coloring material. If the paste type of polish is left exposed to the air for a period of time, the moisture dries out of it, and a dry brittle cake remains. Accordingly the paste or liquid form of polish in common use would not be suitable for the present purpose.

It is an object of the present invention to compose a solid mass of polish molded, or otherwise shaped into stick form; and to compound this polish in such a manner that the polish will not dry out when exposed to the air. Such a polish may include waxes which do not become brittle when left exposed, or may contain nondrying oil which retain the polish in a somewhat plastic state, so that it may be rubbed from the stick onto the surface of the shoe. The ingredients are such that the stick will retain its form during use, the melting point or softening point of the composition being above body temperature, and above the usual temperatures to which the stick would be subjected.

It is an object of the present invention to manufacture the polish in stick form. This form has several advantages over the paste or liquid as usually merchandised. The stick form makes it possible for the polish to be applied without the use of a dauber or brush of any kind. Furthermore, the shape of th stick makes it convenient to carry in a pocket or handbag, or to store in a desk drawer or other convenient location,

It is a feature of the present invention that the shoes may be readily shined through the use of the stick at any convenient time. If the shoes become scuffed, the appearance may be quickly improved by merely rubbing a little polish on the shoes. While the appearance of the shoes may be still more improved by polishing with a cloth or buffer, the polish being made of leather conditioning waxes, it water-proofs and lengthens the life of the leather.

It is a further feature of the present invention to make the polish sufiiciently firm to hold the shape of the stick intact when the stick is used. This feature ha certain advantages which might not be readily apparent. For example, the firmness of the stick makes a certain amount of pressure necessary to apply the polish. This pressure has a tendency to rub the polish to a gloss as it is applied. As a result a certain amount of gloss may be obtained during application of the polish to the shoes. I

It is an important object of my invention to provide a coating over the major portion of the surface of the stick to prevent the hands from being soiled during application, and to permit the stick to be carried without smearing the pocket or handbag. On the surface of the stick, I provide a coating which preserves, protect and encloses the body of the stick. This coating is preferably composed of material which will blend with the polish material as the stick is used. As a result, the protective coating need not be removed before the stick is used, but will merely wear away with the polish as it is used.

It is a feature of my invention that the coating material may, if desired, be formed of material such as a wax which is sufficiently hard so that it will not smear or rub away when carried in a pocket or handbag, and which will not melt at temperatures which would be experienced at such a time. Such a wax coating will blend with the polish a the same is rubbed upon the leather or other material from the stick, and need not be peeled away before the stick is used. This coating also protects and adds stiffness to the polish body, making it possible to form the stick of softer material than would otherwise be permissible.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a polish stick in readiness for use.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the polish stick, the position of the section being indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the stick, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The body IU of the polish stick A may be com posed of any suitable polish material. This material must be sufficiently hard or stiff to retain its shape as the end of the stick is rubbed against the shoes. The composition of the stick is not an important feature of the present invention, and any suitable polish composition may be used to give the desired results. It is preferable, however, that the body of the stick have some wax forming a part of its composition. Any desired coloring matter may be added to provide the necessary shade or tone to the polish.

Extending over the body of the stick, I provide a coating H which protects the body 60. This coating may be used to cover the entire stick body, or may extend over only the major portion of the stick, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, leaving one end 12 of the stick body exposed. This coating is of a type which need not be peeled away from the exposed stick end as the polish is used, and should be of a'composltion which preferably the stick is used. The outer coating must be of sufficiently hard material not to smear or wipe away, and must not soil the hands when used.

While numerous coatings may be used for protecting the body of the stick, I will state certain coating materials which I have found desirable for this purpose. Carnauba wax provides a glossy coating which will not smear or wipe off. This wax has a tendency to be somewhat brittle; but when blended with the waxes which may comprise some of the ingredients of the polish, any brittleness is avoided. Albacer wax has also been used successfully. This Albacer wax is a white opaque solid wax manufactured by the Glyco Products Company. It is a hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol ester of vegetable oils, and has a melting point of 95-97 degrees C. This material is insoluble in water, and is soluble in hot hydrocarbon solvents.

Gpalwax is another wax which may be usedeither singly or in combination with other waxes. Opalwax No. 10, which is a hard wax and is particularly desirable either alone or in combination, is a synthetic hard Wax composed essentially of hydrogenated castor oil.

The carnauba wax defined is made of the Brazilian wax palm and is a well known wax.

Various other waxes may be used, either single or in combination. Waxes as soft as paraffin may be used if it is found that such coatings do not smear in use. Paraffin, it should be noted, does not materially stiffen the stick of polish. Paraifin has been very successfully used, however, where the body of the polish stick needs no additional stiffening from the outer coating.

Considerable success has been found in coating the stick body with a mixture of vegetable oils, mineral spirits, and resin. This coating, colored or colorless, has been found to penetrate into the body and firmly anchor the coating to the body. This coating preferably contains drying oil when applied, and dries to a glossy finish which blends with the wax of the stick body as the same is applied to the shoes.

The above waxes have been given as examples of materials which may be used to provide the outer coating desired. It is obvious that other materials may be used for the coating, and which serve the same purposes. Some lacquer compositions have the property of intermixing with the materials forming the body of the polish stick; and such compositions may be used.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of constructi'onand operation of my polish stick; and while I have endeavored' to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious blends with the polish as changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 7

1. A polish stick comprising an elongated body of polish material in stick form having a softening point above normal room temperatures and including wax, a coloring pigment, and a coating on at least a part of the surface of said body capable of forming a relatively hard uncolored film penetrating into the material forming the body and blendable with the polish material under pressure to form a smooth film, the body of the stick being visible through the coating.

2. A polish stick comprising an elongated body of polish material in stick form having a softening point above normal room temperatures and including a coloring pigment, and a coating on the surface of said body capable of forming a relatively hard film penetrating into the material forming the body and blendable with the polish material under pressure to form a smooth film, the coating comprising a mixture of vegetable oil, mineral spirits and a resin.

3. A polish stick comprising an elongated body of polish material in stick form having a softening point above normal room temperatures and including a coloring pigment, and a coating on one end of the surface of said body capable of forming a relatively hard uncolored film penetrating into the material forming the body and blendable with the polish material under pressure to form a smooth film, said coating terminating short of the other end of the stick and being formed of a mixture of vegetable oil, mineral spirits, and a resin, the body of the stick being visible through the coating.

4. The method of coating an elongated stick of polish material having a softening point above normal room temperatures and having a coloring pigment therein, the method comprising dipping one end of the stick into a liquid coating composition of uncolored coating, allowing the coating to penetrate into the body of coloring material, and drying the coating to provide a relatively hard covering film, the body of the stick being visible through the uncolored hardened coating.

ROGER HARRY DAVID.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 990,354 Harrington "Apr. 25, 1911 2,226,377 Hart Dec. 24, 1940 1,457,217 Dostal May 29, 1923 2,252,554 Carothers Aug. 12, 1941 196,054 Swasey Oct. 9, 1877 1,282,717 Picard et al Oct. 22, 1918 2,066,295 Lyons so. 29, 1936 706,967 Lehmann Aug. 12, 1902 160,741 Alvord Mar. 16, 1875 418,947 Hart Jan. 7, 1890 FCREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,037 Great Britain 1907 2,564 Great Britain 1908 400,286 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1933 

